A Magical Life
by iloveromance
Summary: When Alex Russo meets a dejected and unhappy Dr. Niles Crane, she casts a spell on him to give him a perfect life. But everything is not what it seems...
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh! This is totally lame!" Alex Russo yelled. She slammed the package of

flour onto the counter in frustration, causing a huge puff of white flour to fill

the kitchen.

"Alex, what are you _doing_?" Justin yelled from the doorway. "Mom's gonna

freak when she sees this mess!"

"Yeah? Well... It's her own fault!" Alex said. "She's the one who told me to

bake these brownies!"

Justin scoffed. "You call _this_ baking brownies?"

"Well what would you call it?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"I'd call it being one step closer to Mom and Dad grounding you for life!" Justin

said, ignoring her comment.

"How are those brownies coming along, Alex?" Their mother Teresa called from

the adjoining Waverly Sub Station sandwich Shop.

"Almost done, Mom!" Alex yelled back.

"Yeah, right. In your dreams!" Justin said. "How are you going to fix this?"

Alex smiled at her older brother.

"Are you kidding me? Watch this..." Alex said.

She pointed her wand at the counter and after a few sparks, a plate of freshly

baked brownies appeared on the counter.

Justin blinked and looked around the kitchen, which was now sparkling clean.

"Are you crazy? Mom said no magic!"

"Oh, what do you care?" Alex retorted. "The kitchen is clean and the brownies

are done. That makes me the good kid!"

"Ah! Look at this!" Teresa exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. "My daughter,

the baker!"

Justin rolled his eyes as he watched his mother kiss his sister on the cheek.

"Ewww... Mom!" Alex said, wincing.

"That's my girl!" Teresa said, ignoring her daughter. "Now why don't you go

wash up? Oh and tell Max that dinner's almost ready."

"Okay, Mom! I sure do love you!" Alex said a little too brightly.

Teresa looked at her daughter in amazement. "Are you feeling well, Honey?"

"Mom, can't you see what she's trying to do?" Justin asked, watching as his

sister ran into the restaurant and bounded up the stairs.

"She's playing one of her tricks again. I mean, don't you find it a _little_ strange

that she was able to make those brownies so fast?"

But his mother only smiled.

"Oh honey, don't worry about it! I'm sure Alex would be _happy_ to give you

some baking tips. Heck, I could use some myself."

She took a bite of one of the brownies. "These are delicious!"

Justin sighed and threw his hands up in frustration as he left the kitchen and

returned to the Waverly Place Sub Shop.

"God, Justin's such a loser." Alex muttered under her breath as she bounded

up the stairs. As she entered the living room of her apartment, she found her

little brother Max watching TV in the living room.

"Mom said to tell you that dinner's ready."

"Duh! I have a nose, Alex! I can smell it you know!" Max said sarcastically as

he pointed across the room. "The kitchen is right there."

"And I can smell _you_ coming from a mile away." Alex said, laughing hysterically

at her own joke.

"That's really funny." Max said. "Maybe you should go on a comedy tour,

because you'd make a great stand-up comedian. Heck I'd pay to see people

throw things at you when you tell a lame joke!"

"I'm looking at a lame joke right now!" Alex said, laughing at her brother

again.

"And I'm looking at an even lamer one!" Justin said from behind her, giving his

little brother a high-five.

"You guys are such nimrods!" Alex yelled as she ran into her room and

slammed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_Eggheads._ Alex muttered as she sat down at her computer desk.

_Who needs brothers anyway? They're nothing but losers who never leave! _

She flipped the switch on her computer, smiling as the screen began to glow.

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard and within seconds she had

entered the World Wide Wiz Web.

_Let's see who I can chat with... Oh, look! My boyfriend Mason is on!_

**Alex:** Hey Mason!

**Mason:** Hello, Alex!

**Alex:** What are you up to?

**Mason:** Not much. Just came inside from howling at the moon.

**Alex:** Why would you do that?

**Mason:** Well I am a werewolf you know!

**Alex:** Oh yeah... I keep forgetting! Have you had any luck finding cologne to

hide that doggy scent of yours? Ugh!

**Mason:** I've tried several different things with some success. I'm also looking

for a way to hide this flea collar of mine to make it look like jewelry.

**Alex:** I can totally help you with that!

Just then the door opened, and she turned to find Justin glaring at her.

"Alex! What are you doing?"

"Talking to Mason on the World Wiz Web." She answered sweetly.

"What? We've been downstairs waiting for you for twenty minutes!" Justin

yelled.

"Waiting for me? Why?"

"Well, in case you've forgotten, there's a meal we eat at night. It's called 

_dinne_r!"

"Oh... No thanks. I'm not hungry." Alex said.

"What? Geez, Alex! I'm starving! If I had known you weren't going to eat, I

would have eaten your portion of spaghetti and meatballs!"

At the mention of her favorite food, Alex's eyes widened. "Hang on! I'll be right

there!"

Justin laughed evilly. "Oh no you don't! Not this time!"

He ran out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Justin, wait!" Alex yelled. She reached the door and tugged on it, annoyed to

find that it was locked.

"Open says moi." She said, pointing her wand at the door.

But nothing happened.

In a panic, she began pounding on the door. "Justin! Let me out!"

Minutes later she heard footsteps approaching. "Mom! Dad! Justin locked me

in my room and I can't get out!"

"Serves you right!" Justin's muffled voice said from the hallway. "And speaking

of serving... Doesn't this smell gooooood?"

Suddenly the heavenly aroma of her mother's spaghetti and meatballs wafted

under the doorway and filled her room.

"Justin, please! Let me out! I promise I'll be nice to you! I'll even introduce you

to that girl you like so much at school!"

"Who, Mandy? Well for your information, she has a boyfriend." Justin said.

"And besides, I already have a girlfriend. The fair Juliet has returned yet

again."

Alex scoffed "Who, your 1,000 year old vampire of a girlfriend?".

"Well... I'm off to have my dinner and then some of Mom's famous cheesecake

for desert." Justin said.

"Cheesecake? Oh Justin please let me out!" Alex whined.

"Okay, let me think about it." Justin said.

Then seconds later... "Not on your life."

"Fine! Be that way!" Alex yelled through the door. She returned to her

computer and was about to resume her conversation with Mason, dismayed

when she saw that he'd logged off.

_Great. How do I get rid of an annoying brother?_ _Let's see..._

She typed _annoying brothers_ into the Wizard search engine and clicked the

button. Suddenly a list of websites filled the page.

_Hmmm... _She thought as she scrolled down the page.

_What's this?_

She clicked on the link and began to read:

_**Dr. Frasier Crane, radio psychiatrist can be heard Monday through Friday **_

_**from 2-5pm PST on KACL Seattle . He's listening...**_

She rolled her eyes.

_Bor-ring! Who needs a head-shrinker? Well, besides Justin and Max?_ She thought

with a laugh.

_But wait, what's this? _

_**Dr. Crane is a respected psychiatrist who can help with any problem that **_

_**arises; ranging from problems with family to problems at work and **_

_**everything in between. **_

_Well, I don't have any problems with the sub shop, but I sure do have brother _

_problems. Mom and Dad would kill me if I called long distance. Where is Seattle _

_anyway? I think it's down south somewhere._

"Alex, get down here right now!" her dad yelled. "Justin's already on his third

helping of spaghetti and meatballs!"

"And I'm on my fourth!" she heard Max yell.

_I need to talk to this Frasier person in person_...

"_Person in person_, get it?" She said to the empty room. "Darn, where's an

audience when you need one?"

She took her wand and twirled it over her head...

"_A boat is no boat without a paddle. Take me to a place called Seattle. Wherever _

_that is_."

Instantly, the room began to swirl and her belongings were flying around her.

"Whoa! What's going on?"

Within seconds she landed with a thud on the sidewalk, drenched by a

downpour of rain. "Great! And I just had my hair done, too!"

She groaned and rose to her feet.

_Where in the heck am I?_

As soon as she looked across the street, she knew...

"KACL. That's where this Frasier person lives!" She said happily. "I wonder if

he's home!"


	3. Chapter 3

Alex ran across the street until she came to the small building.

"Wow... this place is really cool!" she said as she walked inside, and preceded

down the hallway that seemed to turn from one way to the next.

She glared at the weird looking pictures on the wall.

_Gil, Kenny, Bulldog... Frasier!_ She read "Oh! So _that's_ what he looks like! Oh

well, nobody's perfect. But geez, what a weird family he has! Who names their

kid _Bulldog_? Oh wait... I totally would!"

She continued down the hallway, wondering where in the heck this Frasier

person's room was. "Excuse me, is Frasier around?" She asked a weird-

looking guy who passed her in the hallway.

"Um... I think he's off today." The nerdy man replied. "I'm Noel by the way. Nice

to meet you."

"Alex." She said pointing to herself.

They glanced at each other awkwardly.

"Well... Live long and prosper." Noel said holding up his fingers in a weird "V"

sign.

Alex rolled her eyes.

"Later Dude." She replied, giving him the "peace" sign.

_Geez, what a weirdo... _she muttered as she walked outside, where it was still

pouring down rain.

_A lot of good that did._

"Okay, this rain has got to stop!" she said, shaking the water from her wand.

To her dismay, the rain continued.

As if by fate, she looked up to find herself standing in front of a small colorful

building.

_Wow... what a weird looking Starbucks. And an even weider name... _

_**Ca-fee Nerv-o-oo-sa**__. What language do they speak here in Seattle? I know it's _

_not Spanish because it otherwise it would be called Ca-fee-Nervoose-a-ito." _

Well, whatever, she was here and it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Besides, she could really use a burger.


	4. Chapter 4

**Meanwhile, in Café Nervosa...**

Niles Crane sat in a hidden corner, grateful that the café was practically empty.

He really didn't want to be around people right now.

But then again, sulking at his apartment-alone-was an even worse thought.

The barista brought his latte, causing him to roll his eyes at the sight of it.

"Something wrong, Mister?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Actually yes." Niles said.

"I _specifically _asked for the _faintest whisper_ of cinnamon."

The barista leaned over and peered into the cup he was holding.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well does this LOOK like a whisper of cinnamon to you?" he yelled. "It's more

like an OUTBURST!"

"Sir, you're disrupting my customers!" The barista snapped.

"Just bring me what I ordered!" Niles yelled, handing the barista his latte,

which to his annoyance, was now ice cold.

"The nerve of people!" he muttered as the barista walked off, glaring at him

when she disappeared into the back room.

Suddenly he felt guilty. He hadn't meant to lose his temper, but having his

drink made incorrectly for the millionth time was the last straw.

Well, it was definitely better than crying, which he actually preferred.

But being a man for whom crying is not in his nature, it was probably for the

best.

Up until two days ago, he'd been the happiest man on Earth, and with good

reason. Unfortunately it took much less time for his world to come crashing

down on him. And to think it all happened just hours earlier.

It was all very innocent... or so he'd thought.


	5. Chapter 5

He'd come home from work, exhausted and upset. It was truly the worst day

of his life. The only bright spot in coming home was knowing that the woman

he loved with all his heart would be there waiting for him.

He still couldn't believe that Daphne Moon had agreed to move in with him,

much less marry him. It had definitely been an adjustment; living under the

same roof with the woman he'd once loved from afar.

But it was blissful, nonetheless.

He opened the front door, his heart warming as her exquisite form came into

view. In her navy dress with the tiny white triangles, his fiancé looked like a

goddess.

But he'd known that since the first day he'd laid eyes on her.

"Hello, my love!" He said opening his arms to hug her. "How was your day?"

Daphne sighed and kissed him. "It was awful! Your father refused to do his

exercises and when I went to the market they were out of me favorite brand

of ice cream! Look, I know I should watch me intake of sweets, but sometimes

I can't help meself! And then if that weren't bad enough, me mum called and I

spent two hours arguin' with her over the weddin' details. You'd think it was

her gettin' married instead of her own daughter! I tried to be polite by sayin'

'Mum, you know I love you but I can't stand it when you-."

"Daphne, please!" Niles said holding up his hand. "Don't you want to hear

about my day?"

At his exasperated tone, her expression fell.

"Oh... of course. How _was_ your day?" She asked, pulling out of his arms.

"Dear God it was awful!" Niles said as he began to pace the room. "My

practice is in severe jeopardy, Daphne!"

"What happened?" She asked, taking his hand.

"Well, I was merely trying to diagnose a patient's problem, and I very gently

asked if she and her husband had been experiencing any difficulties in the

bedroom. It was a perfectly reasonable question, given the circumstances. But

all of a sudden the woman became violent, provoking. She threatened me,

Daphne! She called me incompetent! Do you have any idea what that means?

If she goes to the board, I'm finished! And to make matters even worse-."

"Oh! I almost forgot the worst thing of all!" Daphne interrupted. "It was

horrible, Niles!"

Immediately his heart went out to her, and he laid a gentle hand on her

shoulder. "I'm so sorry my love. What happened?"

"Well I was at the market, tryin' to buy some kidney beans for me stew, and

all of a sudden this little boy reaches into me basket and spills me beans all

over the supermarket floor! And his mum starts yellin' at me for not payin

attention to where I was goin! Most humiliatin' thing that ever happened to

me! I mean, can you imagine-."

Niles could only laugh.

"Daphne, you can't _possibly_ think that your supermarket incident was more

horrifying than the day I just had! The woman threatened me and-."

The moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted them, but it was

too late to take them back.

Daphne stared at him; the hurt evident in her eyes. "I see... So you're sayin'

that your problems are more important than me own?"

He reached for her, hurt when she pulled away. "No Daphne...of course not.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean-."

Her eyes filled with tears, tearing his heart in two. "I'm just a poor healthcare

worker whose life means nothing."

"Daphne, absolutely not! You're won-."

"I should have known. You're just like your brother." She said, the tears sliding

down her cheeks. "You're both spoiled, snobbish and arrogant, and I'm sorry I

ever met you, Niles Crane!"

"Daphne, you can't mean that!" Niles said, watching as she headed for the

stairs. "I love you and I'm so sorry. I just-."

"Forget it, Niles. I know when I'm being used!" She said, her voice trembling.

"Used? Daphne, please! I would never in a million years use you, and frankly

I'm stunned that you would dare think such a thing."

"Goodnight, Niles!" she yelled from the top of the stairs.

He was about to go after her when he heard her footsteps down the hall and

then the slamming of a door.

Wearily he turned out the lights downstairs, not even bothering to make

dinner and headed for his bedroom, distressed to find the room empty.

When he glanced across the hall, he could see her lying in the guest bedroom,

reading. His first thought was to go to her; to make her understand that he

was deeply sorry for hurting her.

But when they made eye contact, she quickly looked away, before getting out

of bed and closing the door.

Crestfallen, he returned to his bedroom and prepared himself for what was

sure to be a lonely and miserable night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Café Nervosa (present day)**

Now, Niles sat and watched people drift in and out of the café, grateful that he

was being ignored.

He sipped his black coffee, which seemed to be the only drink the barista was

capable of making correctly, and sighed. He could barely taste it anyway.

His heart ached...

How could he have been so stupid?

Once again his mind drifted back to the horrible conclusion to such a horrible

night...

He'd woken that morning, certain that Daphne would have forgotten all about

the misunderstanding and forgiven him.

The thought made him smile. They'd had fights before; many in fact. And the

best part of fighting was making up.

No matter whose fault it was.

"Oh Sweetheart... Daphne, my love..." He sang'; his heart beating rapidly at

the thought of seeing her as he ran down the hallway to the guest room.

"I love you more than anything and I hope you're ready to make up..."

But when he opened the guest room door, she was gone.

_Dear God..._

In a panic he returned to his bedroom, hoping to find her; perhaps in the

shower, waiting for him.

"Daphne!" he yelled, praying that he'd find her.

But the bathroom was empty...

And to his horror, so were the drawers and the closet.

He sunk down on the bed as the shattering realization hit him.

She was gone.

This had to be a cruel nightmare.

He closed his eyes, hoping to see her beautiful form when he opened them

again.

Instead he saw something that crushed his soul.

It was her engagement ring, sitting on his dresser.

And beside it, a note:

**Niles, **

**Here is your bloody ring back! Take it... Because I don't want it. I don't **

**love you anymore, and I'm certainly not going to marry you. **

**Goodbye forever, Daphne. **

_Daphne, no... This can't be happening..._

When he picked up the ring, all he could think of was the glorious night he'd

proposed...

And suddenly the man who said he never cried was sobbing into his hands,

not caring what the Café Nervosa patrons-or anyone-thought of him.

For his world had truly ended and his life was no longer worth living...

He had no career, no friends, no family... and worst of all...

No Daphne...


	7. Chapter 7

Alex wandered into the colorful cafe and looked around, amazed to find that

there were no kids in sight.

How lame...

Well, it didn't matter anyway. She sat down at one of the small wooden tables,

just as a lady wearing a green apron approached her.

"What can I get you?"

"Um... Well, do you have a menu? Because I'm starving!" Alex replied.

"Menu's over there on that wall." The lady said, pointing to the chalkboard.

Alex peered across the cafe. "How do you expect people to see that?"

The lady rolled her eyes. "Well, most people get up and walk over there. Now

what are you going to order?"

Alex looked at her thoughtfully. "Well... a root beer for one. Oh and a

cheeseburger with fries."

"Kid, are you for real?" the lady asked.

Alex looked herself up and down." I think so, why?"

"Look, why don't you just leave. We don't have time for pranksters in here."

"You're throwing me out?" Alex asked in disbelief. Then she laughed. "Boy, if

you're gonna throw someone out, that's a really lame way to do it! Mr. Laritate

does a _way_ better job at throwing us out at school!"

The woman put her hands on her hips and glared at Alex. "Look, Kid... Are you

gonna leave or am I gonna have to throw you out?"

Alex threw up her hands in frustration. "All right, all right, I'm leaving! Geez!"

She rose from the table and headed for the door, but something made her

stop and turn around.

What the heck?

Making sure the lady in the green apron wasn't watching, Alex made her way

to the corner of the café to get a better look.

What she saw was a man. Thin with short, dark hair... and she couldn't be

sure but... wait... was he _crying_?

Whoa! This was _way_ too weird! She'd never seen a man cry before-Not even

her dad or Uncle Kelbo.

And this guy looked way more important than anyone in her family. His suit

must have come from a really good department store.

Her dad was so lame that he borrowed Justin's suit (which, by the way was

too small!) to go on a date with his own wife.

What was with this guy anyway? And more importantly why did she even

care?

For some totally insane unknown reason, she couldn't resist finding out why a

grown man would cry in a public place.

Casually she moved closer to where the man sat alone at a small wooden

table, pretending to read a book.

Yeah, that's right... _pretending._ She could totally tell. She'd mastered the art of

faking her way through many a reading assignment.

Pretending to read was an art form. One that this guy had down perfectly.

"Hey." She said putting on a big smile as she stepped in front of him. But he

ignored her and continued to read.

"I said hey." She said again.

The man crossed his knee over his leg and turned away from her.

"Hey Mister!" She said louder; attracting glances from nearby customers. The

man lowered his book and looked at her with an annoyed glare; one that she

was very familiar with. Justin had given her that look plenty of times.

"Do you mind?" The man said; the irritation heavy in his voice. "I'm trying to

read here!"

Alex scoffed. "Yeah right. I can _totally _tell that you're reading."

The man sniffled and cleaned his throat. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Probably." She answered

"Well then... why don't you run along and leave me to my reading. Go... bother

someone else."

His voice sounded funny.. Like he was about to cry again.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

"Of course I'm okay!" The man snapped. "Why would you even ask such a

preposterous question? You don't even know me!"

"Whoa... you are like _major _weird!" Alex said, stepping away from him.

Just then the man's cell phone rang and he reached into his pocket to answer

it.

"Hello?" He said into the phone.

There was a long pause, and then his face got that hurt look on it again, that

immediately turned to anger.

"But wait! What are you saying?" He was yelling into the phone. "Dear God,

how could you even think that? Please, can't you give me a chance to explain?

Call my brother then. He knows what's going on. That's right. Oh come on,

please! Just give me another-."

And then he was staring at the phone wearing the saddest expression that

Alex had ever seen.

Slowly he closed the phone and slammed his fist angrily on the table, startling

Alex with the sound it made.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

The man brushed away a tear with the sleeve of his fancy department store

suit. "Please.. Just go away..." He said to Alex.

Alex shrugged. "Okay. But I was only trying to help. And believe me, I never

help, so this is a rarity. Just ask anyone in my family." She rose from the chair

and turned to leave.

"Wait." She heard him say.

Slowly she turned to face him. "Yeah?"

The man sighed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. Won't you sit down?"

"Sure." Alex said, returning to the wooden chair.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt your feelings but I'm not in the mood to talk right

now. However, you're welcome to stay."

"Cool!" Alex said. "So why are you crying? I mean it's totally weird to see a

guy crying like that."

"I am _not_ crying!" The man shouted, emphasizing each word.

"Riiiiight." Alex said. "So I suppose you always look like that."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Look like what?"

"Like you've been crying."

Wordlessly, the man rose from his chair, grabbed his book and walked out the

door.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex hurried to follow him onto the sidewalk.

"Mister, wait!" She called to him.

The man turned around and glared at her. "What do you want?"

"To help you." Alex said.

"I assure you I'm fine, thank you. I don't need help from a... a _child_." He said,

emphasizing the word.

"Come on... Please? Just tell me what's wrong." Alex begged.

Wearily the man walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. "I might as

well. I'm a psychiatrist and I of all people should know that it's not good to

keep my emotions bottled up."

"Good!" Alex said with a smile having no idea what he was talking about. "So

what's bothering you?"

"Well, for starters, I've been voted out of my wine club! For something that

wasn't even my fault! I'm sure that Frasier will take great pleasure in knowing

that his little brother will no longer be lurking in his shadows. God knows

we've competed enough in our lifetimes."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Brothers are such a pain! I have two of them; an older

one and a younger one and they are both... Wait... did you say _Frasier_?"

"Well, yes... but..."

"Oh my God! I was just at his house looking for him! Do you know where he

is? Oh my God I can't believe you're his brother! Wow... he sure has a big

family!"

The man looked at her like she was nuts. "Wait... How do you know where he

lives?"

"It's on the Internet." Alex replied.

The man's hand flew to his mouth. "Dear God! Who would put Frasier's

address on the Intenet? Just because he's a so-called radio star doesn't

mean-."

"Well it was easy to find. It's right over there." Alex said, pointing to the KACL

building across the street.

This news apparently brought the man great relief.

"Oh.. Yes, I suppose you could say that KACL is his home." The man said.

"I'm Alex." Alex said, extending her hand. "And what's your name?"

"I'm not sure if I should even tell you..." The man said. "But I'm Dr. Niles

Crane."

"A doctor, huh?" Alex asked, tugging on her shirt. "Do you think you can take a

look at this rash on my neck?"

The doctor cringed and backed away.

"Hey!" Alex yelled. "I'm not contagious! Or at least I don't think I am..."

"Um... Well... I 'm not that kind of doctor. I'm a psychiatrist." He told her for the

second time.

Finally she got it. "Ohhhh... You mean you're a head shrinker like Frasier? Well,

maybe you can help me. See, my older brother Justin is such a pain. He's

always-."

"Listen..."

"Alex." She finished, annoyed that a guy who probably went to a really big

school could forget her name so quickly.

"Alex. I'd love to help you with your problems, but I have enough of my own,

okay? So if you don't mind-."

"But you never told me what's wrong!" Alex said. "Well except for this club you

got kicked out of. But hey, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean who wants to be

in a _whine club_ anyway? I bet all they do is complain all day! Maybe I could try

to get my brothers to join?"

"Your bothers drink _wine_?" Dr. Crane asked in disbelief. "But you said you had

a _younger_ brother! Why you can't be more than-."

Alex laughed hysterically. "No! I mean whine, like "W-H-Y... um... N-E".

Dr. Crane wasn't at all amused.

_Wow, this guy's sense of humor is worse than Mr. Larritate's! And that's bad!_

"All right. So what's wrong?" She asked.

"Dr. Crane sighed. "What _isn't_ wrong?"

"Oohhh! Sounds serious!" Alex said, shifting to a more comfortable position in

her chair.

"Well.. not only did I get thrown out of my wine club-that's wine that adults

drink by the way-,a patient threatened me at work and now I'll probably lose

my license."

"Wow... You can lose your driver's license over that?" Alex asked, making a

mental note not to make her shrink mad. If she ever had one that is.

The man looked at her with annoyance. "My license to practice... Oh never

mind."

"So that's it? That's why you were crying like a baby?"

"I wasn't crying!" Dr Crane yelled.

"Okay, okay! So what else happened?"

"Isn't that enough?" Dr. Crane sighed.

"Look, I can totally tell that you're hiding something. I do it all the time! What

happened? You get dumped or something?"

To her amazement, the man turned away, but she could hear him start to cry

again.

"Oh man! I knew I should have kept my mouth shut!"

"I-it's all right." Dr. Crane said, quickly rubbing his eyes.

"So who was this chick, anyway?" Alex asked.

A dreamy look came over Dr. Crane's eyes and he actually smiled. Kind of the

way Alex did whenever she saw Mason.

"Daphne..." Dr. Crane said.

"And what's the big deal about her?" Alex asked.

"She's an angel, my goddess. I loved her for almost seven years before I could

tell her. She was engaged to another man and then Frasier found out that she

loved me, only I didn't know it. But then on the night before her wedding to

this other man, she finally kissed me. And now she's going to marry me

instead... Or at least... she was."

"Wow... that's deep. You could put that on a Hallmark card or something." Alex

said. She started to laugh, but when Dr. Crane glared at her she thought

better of it. "So why isn't she? Going to marry you, I mean?"

"Oh... Well it was my fault. But it doesn't matter now." Dr. Crane said, rising

from the bench. "Look, it was very nice to meet you Alex, but I should be

going... back to my cold... dark... lonely apartment."

"Later!" She called to him.

As he walked away, she could hear him sighing to himself.

"I just wish my life was perfect. The way it used to be... before I made a mess

out of things."

He was completely unaware of the shower of sparkling dust that covered him

as he walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner.


	9. Chapter 9

In the darkness, Niles turned onto his side and pulled the comforter closer to

his body, grateful that sleep had finally found him. For hours, he'd tossed and

turned, thinking about what he'd lost and what a fool he'd been to let her go.

"Oh my love... I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I only hope you know how

profoundly sorry I am and can forgive me some day."

Suddenly he felt movement, signaling that he wasn't alone.

And he was filled with unimaginable relief.

For the woman he cherished so deeply had returned.

"I love you so much, Sweetheart." He said; his heart warming at the thought

of her lying next to him.

He moved closer to her, unable to bear being apart from her no more. He

wanted to stay like this forever; even longer if that were possible. For with her

by his side, he didn't need anyone else.

As if by fate, she sighed and put her arm around him, drawing him even closer

until it felt as though they were one. He took her hand and kissed it before

drifting back to sleep.

Seconds later, he opened his eyes.

Something was definitely amiss.

He rubbed her hand against his cheek; his blood turning cold when he realized

what was wrong.

He swallowed hard and daringly turned to face her. When she smiled at him,

he froze in shock.

_No...This can't be happening..._

If he'd ever wondered if it were possible to hyperventilate in bed, he was

about to find out.

When she leaned foreword and kissed him, he gasped, recoiling as he

scrambled off the bed like a frightened cat.

"DEAR GOD!" He yelled; the words resonating in his ears like a gong.

For the woman lying next to him wasn't Daphne Moon at all...

It was Maris!


	10. Chapter 10

He ran down the stairs, desperately needing a drink. However when he

reached the living room, he stopped and looked around in alarm.

How in God's name had he ended up in this cold, unfriendly mansion?

Just hours before, he'd gone to sleep at the Montana! He was sure of it!

This had to be a dream... or more precisely, a nightmare!

He rushed over to the bar and poured himself a sherry, drinking it in one gulp.

The liquid trickled down his throat, causing a burning sensation that would

make swallowing sandpaper feel soothing.

Suddenly he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he whirled around;

his heart beating rapidly at the sight.

"Maris..." He said, slowly backing away as she came near. He gave her a weak

smile and an even weaker laugh.

"H-hello."

His breath caught in his throat when she took him in her arms and kissed him.

When the kiss ended, he pulled away, cringing.

Not so long ago, he would have savored this moment like a fine glass of the

world's best wine. But now it sickened him.

He had to get out of here.

Ignoring her puzzled look, he ran past Maris and up the staircase. In a

disillusioned state, he enetered his bedroom and changed his clothes. Within

minutes, he'd managed to sneak down the back staircase, past Marta and the

cleaning staff, and out the back door.

Safely in his BMW, he backed out of the expansive driveway, narrowly missing

Maris' blue Mercedes.

Once he was safely in his vehicle, he shifted into _Drive _and exceeded the

speed limit until he came to a screeching halt in the parking garage at the

Elliott Bay Towers.

He couldn't get to the elevator fast enough and his hand trembled as he

pushed the button for the 19th floor.

When the elevator doors opened, he ran across the hall and pounded on the

door. "Frasier! Open up! It's Niles!" he yelled. "I've got to talk to you! This is

an emergency!"

Footsteps approached causing him to sigh with relief. His brother would know

how to handle this. It was definitely stress from working much too hard. And

the horrible fight he'd had with Daphne had only proven to make things

worse. He could hear the unlocking of the door and then it opened.

"Frasier, thank God! I... Oh..."

Suddenly he wished he hadn't come.

Just when he thought that things couldn't get any worse...

They did.


	11. Chapter 11

His entire body tensed at the sight. He swallowed hard, glaring at the woman

whose singular purpose in life seemed to be making the Crane brothers

miserable.

"Lillith..." He said through clinched teeth.

"Hello, Niles." She said with a smile. "It's so nice to see you. Frasier will be so

happy you've come over, as am I."

Niles stared at her, unable to believe he'd heard her correctly. "You're..._happy_

to see me?"

"Well of course! We're family aren't we? I mean, you are my brother-in-law. I

couldn't love you any more than if you were my own brother!"

Dizziness set in and he grabbed the doorframe for support.

"Why Niles, what's wrong?" She asked with genuine concern in her voice. It

was the sort of tone he'd heard Daphne use for years. The kind that made him

fall in love with her.

"Oh no! Don't tell me you've gotten another one of your dizzy spells! Come

with me and have a seat on the sofa."

To his amazement, she hugged him and then took his hand; leading him into

the living room.

"Would you like some wine?" She asked.

Before he could even open his mouth to answer, she touched his cheek;

almost like a caress. "Oh God, what am I _thinking_, offering you wine when

you're experiencing dizziness? Here, I'll get you some tea."

When she disappeared into the kitchen, he looked around his brother's living

room. Something was different. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Uncle Niles!"

Niles turned to find his nephew in the hallway, excitedly running toward him.

"Freddie! What a nice surprise! I had no idea you... Umph!"

Freddie ran into his uncle's outstretched arms, knocking the breath out of him.

"I love you, Uncle Niles." Frederick said, hugging Niles tightly.

Niles was touched at the young boy's sentiment. "Oh Freddy, that's very

sweet. I love you too."

"Oh my... Would you look at that?" Lillith exclaimed stopping to admire the

tender uncle/nephew moment. "What a beautiful sight. He really does adore

you, Niles. Talks about you all the time!"

Niles was astonished by this news.

"Are you serious? But that's imposs-."

Lillith handed Niles his tea and smiled. "Now don't go denying it, Niles Crane!

You're a wonderful uncle and Frederick thinks the world of you! Come to think

of it Frasier and I do as well."

The door unlocked, causing Lillith and Frederick to head for the door. They

stood dutifully in the foyer waiting for it to open.

"Frederick, Daddy's home!" Lillith exclaimed with great excitement.

When the door opened, she clutched her hands to her heart and sighed.

"Hello, Darling." She said, wrapping her arms around Frasier.

"Hello my beautiful wife." He said with a smile.

When they kissed passionately, Niles' eyes grew wide.

_**Wife**__?_

"Frasier, what's going on?" Niles asked, watching Frederick run into his father's

arms for a bear hug.

"Frasier, Niles is here to see you. He seems a little upset." Lillith said. "I think

he really needs some brotherly advice."

"Niles, what a wonderful surprise." Frasier said, walking over to the sofa to

hug his brother. "It's been much too long."

"It has?" Niles asked, wondering where this sudden sentiment had come from.

"Well of course it has. How's Maris by the way?"

Niles was mere seconds from fainting... and there was no fainting couch in

sight. Come to think of it there wasn't one at the mansion either.

"Um... Maris?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Well yes. You do remember Maris, don't you? Your _wife_?" Frasier asked with a

grin and a wink toward Lillith.

"Of course... but Maris and I-."

"Are happily married! And I couldn't be prouder to have her for a sister in law!"

Frasier said.

"_Married_?"

Frasier laughed. "Oh Niles, don't tell me you've forgotten what that band of

gold on your left hand means!"

Niles looked at his hand in horror, stunned to find that he was indeed wearing

a very familiar gold wedding band.

"Frasier... I _really_ need to talk to you... right away." he said, grabbing the side

of the sofa for support.

Lillith smiled. "Well I think that Frederick and I will go play some video games

in his room while you boys talk. It's so wonderful to see you, Niles."

"Have fun." Frasier said, kissing Lillith. "Don't let him beat you by too much,

now!" He added with a chuckle.

"I'll try not to get to terribly distraught when he annihilates me at Space

Wars." Lillith said, blowing Frasier a kiss from the hallway.

"Oh... And Niles, do tell Maris hello for me. I'm sorry I haven't called her but

I've just been so terribly busy. Tell her that I promise to make it up to her. We'll

do lunch next week."

"Oh... All right." Niles said wearily.

_What in the world was going on?_


	12. Chapter 12

Niles rubbed his temples in frustration and lay back on the sofa.

"You know, you _do_ look a little peaked, Niles." Frasier said as he hung up his

coat. "What's on your mind?"

"I-I'm not sure." Niles said, staring at the ceiling. "Something's wrong."

Frasier sat down in the chair next to his brother. "I'm listening." He said with a

smile.

"Well, something weird is going on and-."

Suddenly he sat up and looked around. "Frasier, where is Dad's chair?"

Frasier shrugged. "I guess it's still at his apartment, why?"

"His _apartment_? You mean..."

Frasier looked at him blankly, as a surge of anger went through Niles.

"Frasier, how _could _you?" He yelled.

"How could I _what_, Niles? What are you talking about?"

"You put him in a_ home,_ didn't you? I thought we were going to discuss this

subject together before we did anything so drastic! Our father may have been

shot, but he's not an invalid! Besides he's got-."

Frasier jumped out of his chair and looked at his little brother in alarm.

"WHAT? Dear God, our father's been shot and you're just _now_ telling me?

When did this happen?"

Niles looked at his brother, bewildered. "Don't you remember? You're the one

who called _me_! And you were in_ Boston_ at the time! Dad was responding to a

burglary, and then you flew home. Then when the incident happened at Dad's

apartment, we decided he shouldn't live at home anymore so he moved in

here with you and then you hired-."

Frasier laughed. "Oh Niles... You were always such a kidder! I couldn't _possibly_

move Dad in here! Where would Lilith and Frederick sleep?"

"Well I would hope back in Boston where they live." Niles said.

Again his brother laughed. "Oh Niles, Frederick and Lilith haven't lived in

Boston for _years_! You see, As soon as Lilith heard my plea to move back to

Seattle to be with my wonderful brother and father, she was only too happy to

make the move."

"You mean, she and Freddy _live_ here? In this apartment? Why in God's name

would you allow her to move in with you?"

"Well of course! We _are_ married you know! And Frederick _is _our son!"

"You and Lilith got remarried and didn't even _tell _me? Did you tell Dad?"

"Niles you know perfectly well that Lilith and I have been happily married for

years! You were at the wedding! Actually you were the best man IN the

wedding! If you hadn't remembered to bring the rings at the last minute, I

don't know what would have-."

"I know for a fact that I wasn't in your wedding because you told me you had a civil ceremony! "

"What? Never in a million years would I get married and not include my

brother and father!" Frasier exclaimed.

Niles was speechless. Had his brother gone mad? "Well..." he finally said after

a long silence.

"Oh dear... I had no idea that you and Maris were having problems! I'm so

sorry." Frasier said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.

_Huh?_

Niles... it may _feel _like our wives are a bit too much for us and the only

solution is to _divorce_ ourselves from the situation, but trust me it's not the

easy way out!"

"No, Frasier I mean that you and Lilith are _really_ divorced, just like Maris and

I!"

If you love and trust another person with all your heart, that's all that matters.

But since you mentioned remarrying Lilith, you know..." Frasier continued,

apparently ignoring his brother. We have a significant anniversary coming

month and that would be the perfect way to celebrate...by renewing our

vows! And how wonderful if Freddie could share in that glorious moment!"

"Oh... Okay." Niles said nervously. "So what about Dad?"

"What about Dad?"

"Well how is it possible that you know nothing about him getting shot? He's

been getting physical therapy daily from... by the way, where's Daphne?"

"Who?"

"Daphne. Daphne Moon. The woman you hired to take care of Dad."

"Oh Niles, don't be ridiculous! Dad doesn't need a nursemaid or a therapist.

He's perfectly healthy! He lives alone, just like he always has."

Niles rose from the sofa and walked woodenly to the door.

"Niles!" Frasier yelled. "Where are you going?"

"I-I need to talk to Dad. Um... what's his address again?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already! You visit him all the time!" Frasier said

with a laugh.

Niles laughed nervously. "I know... but... um... I'm just.. I haven't been feeling

well lately and..."

"Oh but Niles, do you think you should be going out? Why don't you call Maris

and tell her that you'll stay here with us? You can sleep in the guest room. I'll

write you a prescription for anything you need." Frasier said.

What? His brother doing something completely unethical?

"No... I.. I think I should just leave. But thank you Frasier."

_"Leave_? Niles I-."

Before his brother could protest, Niles hurried out of the Elliot Bay Towers

feeling more confused than ever.


	13. Chapter 13

Niles' BMW sped through the streets of Seattle until he came to the address

that Frasier had written down.

But wait... this couldn't be right...

_This _was where their father lived? It was appalling! Why, this place made the

Shangri-La look like... well, the Montana!

But why would Frasier send their father here?

He had to get to the bottom of this. He rushed into the lobby, cringing at the

sight. Perhaps Frasier was in a state of psychosis; one that caused him to

believe that he was still happily married, which is why he shipped their father

off to this... There were simply no words to describe this place.

The thought caused Niles even more anxiety. Frasier was always the strong

one; the one who saw more grounded than his little brother.

All the more reason to talk to his father. But for some strange reason, Niles felt

a wave of nervousness come over him as he searched for the apartment

number.

Ahh... here it is... Number... 12.

_Number 12? What kind of apartment complex only has twelve units?_

His hand shook as he knocked on the door.

"Dad?"

When the door was opened, his father smiled and hugged him. "Hey, Son!

Good to see you! You're late you know! I was expecting you a lot earlier!"

_Late? For what?_

"Come in! Sorry this place is such a mess. Eddie had a field day with the

newspaper!"

Niles looked around the place in horror. "Dad, I'm so sorry about all this." He

said.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For... well... This is really where you live?"

To his amazement, the question caused his father to light up. "Yeah, isn't it

great? I just love it!"

"You can't be serious." Niles said.

"Oh yeah, it's wonderful! And Eddie loves it, too!"

"But Dad, what about Frasier's place?"

"What about it?"

"Well, I can't believe that he just... kicked you out like that! I mean what could

have possibly happened between you two to cause him to do something so

extreme?"

"Kicked me out? Niles, are you feeling well? There's no way I'd move in with

him! Why we'd be at each other's throats all the time! We'd never be able to

get along."

"But you seemed to be getting along just fine the other day when-."

Niles stopped suddenly, as his father looked at him, puzzled.

"When what?"

"Um... Dad... I think we need to talk."

"Sure, have a seat." His father said, clearing a space on the sofa.

"Thank you." Niles said as he sat down.

"Beer?"

Niles shuddered at the sight of the tiny refrigerator in the incredibly small

dining area.

"Um... no thanks. Listen Dad... About Frasier..."

"Yeah?"

"Have _you_ been feeling well lately?"

His father took a swig of his beer. "Yeah, just fine. Why?"

"Well, perhaps you're experiencing some memory loss. It's perfectly normal at

your age, and maybe if we just took you and Eddie back to Frasier's, it would

help to-."

Niles couldn't help but notice that something was different... "Um, Dad?"

"Yeah, Niles?"

"Where-where's your cane?"

"My what?"

"Why, your cane! The one you've been using ever since you were shot."

"Shot? Oh Niles what's the matter with you? That's a horrible thing to wish

upon your father!"

"But Dad, don't you remember? You were shot while checking out a burglary!

And then Frasier took you and Eddie in, and that's when-."

His father laughed, confusing Niles even more. "Oh, I know what you're talking

about."

Niles sighed with relief. "Thank God because I was-."

"Fras and I were just talking about that the other day on the phone About

how horrible it would be if something were to happen to me and I'd have to

move in with him and Lillith. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Lillith like she

was my own daughter-and Maris too, Son. But there just wouldn't be enough

room. But the way your brother loves Eddie, it might be fun! I should really

bring Eddie over for a visit some day. Those two are just the best of friends!"

Niles swallowed hard. "Dad? I think I'll have that beer now."

"Oh sure... No problem, Son!" His father said, walking over to the mini

refrigerator without as much as a limp.

The dizziness Niles felt was overwhelming and he began to wonder how he

would possibly drive home.

"Here you go, Son!"

"Thanks, Dad." Niles said, taking the beer can. He opened it quickly and drank

its contents in one gulp.

"There's plenty more where that came from!" his dad said with a smile. "Want

another?"

"No, thank you. What are you watching?"

"Oh, the World Series of course! This is incredible! Ninth inning, Mariners down

by 2 runs and no outs and... Oh My God I can't believe it!"

Niles blinked, watching in complete astonishment as his father jumped of the

couch and began to cheer.

"What's going on?"

"Mariners just won the World Series... Again!"

"Again? But you said they had the worst record of any team! Fewer

touchdowns and-."

"Touchdowns? Oh Niles... you're such a kidder! You're the biggest sports fan I

know!"

Okay, _now_ Niles knew he'd lost his mind. He hated sports!

Um... Dad... I don't understand. How is it that you don't remember being shot?

I mean, you're doing remarkably well. Daphne's done an incredible job and I

realize that I don't thank her enough for all she's done for you."

"Who's Daphne?"

Niles felt his heart stop. "W-what?"

"Who's _Daphne_? I don't know anyone named Daphne?"

Niles stood and put his hand on his father's forehead. "Are you sure you

shouldn't lie down? How could you have forgotten Daphne? Frasier hired her

to be your physical therapist when-."

"Are you crazy? I don't need a nursemaid! I'm perfectly fine! I'm not a cripple

you know!"

"Dad, I never said-."

"Now if you want to talk about Maris or your brother or Lillith or anyone else,

fine. But don't come over here and then degrade me. I don't know where you

got this insane idea that I'd been shot, but I'm perfectly fine!"

Niles stood; ignoring the blood rushing to his head. "I think I should probably

go now."

"That's a good idea!" His dad yelled. "Maybe find a therapist of your own!"

When his father turned his attention back to the television, Niles quickly made

his escape. There was only one place he could go to calm his nerves... and it

definitely wasn't home.


	14. Chapter 14

Niles rushed into Café Nervosa and sat down in the same secluded booth

where he'd sat just days before, crying his heart out over Daphne.

_Daphne..._

Just the sound of her voice inside his head caused his heart to ache.

He looked around the café and then pinched himself in the hopes that any

second now, he'd wake up from this terrifying nightmare. Unfortunately the

only thing that it accomplished was a painful redness and a wrinkled shirt

sleeve.

And the even more painful reality that his world had been turned upside

down.

He sat in silence trying to figure out what it could all possibly mean.

But before he could sort out his thoughts, the barista approached him. He

groaned when he recognized her from before, when she'd managed to ruin his

favorite drink by dousing it with cinnamon. It definitely wasn't the first time

they'd gotten his drink order wrong.

"What can I get for you?" The barista asked, looking much too happy to see

him.

"I'll have a latte with the faintest-."

"...whisper of cinnamon. I got it." The barista said, smiling as she wrote down

his order.

_Well, that was certainly strange..._

When she was gone, he resumed his brainstorm session by taking out a pen

and paper;

_**Frasier married to Lillith**_

_**Dad never got shot**_

_**Lillith actually pleasant**_

_**Frederick hugging his uncle**_

_**Mariners win Super Bowl**_

_**Maris-**_

His hand trembled as he wrote the name of his dreaded ex-wife. He stared at

the list, trying desperately to figure out what it all meant.

Dear God... He'd forgotten the most important point of all...

**Daphne non-existent. **

A lump formed in his throat when he wrote her name and once again he found

himself unsuccessfully fighting back tears.

She was most certainly existent in his heart.

"Here you are, Dr. Crane." The barista said, giving him a cheerful smile as she

handed him the drink. A familiar aroma filled his senses; one of cinnamon that

wasn't too overpowering.

Just as he was about to take a sip, something made him stop and examine

the drink. It was just as he feared...

For sprinkled on the top was the faintest hint of cinnamon. He took a sip and

sighed.

It was without a doubt, the most perfect beverage he'd ever consumed.

An unsettling feeling swirled inside of him as he slowly began to realize what

had happened.

He rose from his chair in a well-known state of anxiety, trying to catch his

breath. It all made sense now...

"THAT'S IT!" he yelled, startling himself with his own outburst. "I CAN'T TAKE

THIS ANYMORE!"

Feeling more dejected than ever, he sunk down into the wooden chair and

covered his face with his hands, unable to stop the tears from coming.

"Whoa!" said a voice from beside him.

He looked up to see a young red-headed girl staring at him... with a ridiculous

coffee cup hat atop her head.

"Alex wasn't kidding when she said you were crying!"

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, not bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Do I know you?"

The girl blushed. "Um... Well, no. But you might know my best friend, Alex?"

"Alex..." he repeated, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar.

"I don't know any Alex."

"Oh, sure you do!" the girl said with a smile that was much too wide. "She

was just in here a couple of days ago. She told me that they don't serve

cheeseburgers and root beer and I told her '_Well of course they don't! It's a _

_coffee shop, not a burger stand!_ But then again she _is_ a wizard and... Oh

no..."

She looked at him in horror, her hand clamped over her mouth.

"She's really gonna kill me now! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone! Oh, this is

bad! This is so bad!" She groaned.

"Who are you?" Niles asked, wishing she would just go away. "And more

importantly, what are you doing here? And even _more_ importantly, what on _  
><em>

_earth_ are you wearing?"

The girl smiled proudly and looked herself up and down.

"Oh this? I created this especially for this occasion! I call it my coffee

ensemble!"

"Coffee ensemble?" Niles repeated.

"Yeah! See? I have a plush coffee cup hat, dangling silver coffee cup earrings,

a matching green and blue coffee cup print shirt and skirt, and white socks

with coffee cups on them! Oh and brown-ish shoes... I forget what the real

color is called, though."

"Coffee?" Niles asked, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Yeah, that's right! Boy, Alex told me you were smart and it wasn't that I didn't

believe her but now I can see why she'd say something like that, what with

your fancy suit and-."

"What are you doing here?" Niles interrupted.

"Oh, well, Alex sent me! She wanted to make sure you were okay! Isn't that

the sweetest thing?"

"She sent you? What, like by _magic_ or something?" Niles scoffed.

"Well yeah. I mean she _is _a wizard and ... Oh no... Not again!" she said with a

groan.

"Who _are_ you, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm Harper Finkle!" Harper said excitedly as she extended her hand.

Niles looked at her, wincing at her ridiculous ensemble as he shook her hand.

"Dr. Niles Crane."

"Wow, you really _are_ a doctor!" Harper said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Miss Finkle, why don't you give your friend Alex a message for me. Tell her

that I'm not sure how this happened, but ever since she _insisted_ on helping

me, things have changed. And NOT for the better! Or more to the point, SHE'S

COMPLETELY RUINED MY LIFE!"

Startled, Harper stepped back. "Whoa! What's with you? I thought you'd be

happy!"

"Happy?" Niles yelled. "You call this happy?"

Harper winced. "Oh no... ALEX! GET IN HERE NOW!" she screamed at the top

of her lungs.

Within seconds Alex appeared out of nowhere. Niles recognized her instantly...

The annoying dark-haired girl who he'd spoken with before; the girl who

ruined his life.

"Harper, what's the problem?" Alex sneered. "Mason and I were about to go

howl at the moon and-Oh hey!" she said, smiling at Niles. "How's it going?"

"It's going horribly!" Niles yelled. "So why don't you wave your magic wand

and fix it?"

Alex's jaw dropped. "Wand? How did you know I had a... HARPER! How could

you? I told you not to tell anyone!"

"I know... I'm sorry!" Harper whined. "It just... slipped out!"

Alex sighed audibly. "It's fine. I'll fix it. But why did you interrupt my date with

Mason for me to come all the way back here?"

"I think you'd better ask him." Harper said, pointing to Niles.


	15. Chapter 15

Alex looked at Niles. "All right, what's the big deal, Mister...?"

"_Doctor_." He corrected.

"Mister _Doctor_. Wow, what a weird name!" She said, ignoring his perplexed

look.

"You've ruined my life!"

"_Ruined_ it? What do you mean? I gave you exactly what I asked for!"

"I never asked for this!" Niles yelled.

"Yes you did! You said, _I wish my life was perfect_!"

"You call this perfect?"

"Well yeah!" Alex said. "You're happily married, your brother is nice to you,

your dad never got shot-."

"Exactly, and Daphne doesn't exist!" Niles finished. "How can my life be perfect

without Daphne? She's the most perfect human being on this earth! She's an

angel and a goddess and I love her more than words can express."

Harper smiled. "That's beautiful." She said tearfully.

"Yeah, yeah... so what are you saying, Mister Doctor?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked.

Alex laughed. "Well it's your name, isn't it?"

Niles opened his mouth to speak but decided to keep quiet.

He swallowed hard.

"I want my life back! The way it was before you came into Café Nervosa.

Where the baseball team was so bad that there's no chance they'll ever get to

the Super Bowl, my father uses a cane and lives with my brother, my ex wife is

out of my life forever, and most of all, that Daphne isn't just a dream! She's

real! I want to... hold her in my arms and kiss her the way she's never been

kissed before. I want to... beg her forgiveness for my being so insensitive to

her sorrows. She was hurting and I completely crushed her feelings! I have to

make it up to her. I-I love her!"

Harper sniffled and threw her arms around Niles, causing him to recoil in

surprise. When he glared at her she let go of him. "I'm sorry, but that was just

so beautiful!" She said tearfully.

"All right. Are you sure about this?" Alex asked.

"Quite sure." Niles said.

"Okay then... But first things first..."

Alex pulled out her wand and twirled it around and around, pointing it at Niles'

head. "_Go back in time remove the sign... of me_."

A sprinkling of dust fell from the ceiling and then swirled around the room.

"Great, Okay, now... _A perfect life is not so fun; give Mister Doctor back his _

_normal one."_

And within seconds, another sprinkling of dust swirled around the room and

out the door, sending Alex and Harper with it.


	16. Chapter 16

Niles blinked, amazed to find that he was still sitting at the same table in Café

Nervosa. His head throbbed with the worst headache imaginable.

_What in the world just happened?_

Oh right... He'd been sitting here drowning his sorrows in a cinnamon

saturated latte that was now ice cold.

Just like his heart.

Unable to shake the strange feeling that came over him; he tossed his drink

into the trash can and hurried out of the café.

His BMW raced through the streets of Seattle until he arrived at the Elliot Bay

Towers. He ran through the lobby and into the elevator, nervously waiting as

he was whisked to the 19th floor.

"Frasier, open up!" Niles said, banging on the door.

"Good God, Niles what's gotten into you?" Frasier said as he opened the door

and ushered his brother inside. "The neighbors will complain!"

"Forget the neighbors! I need to talk to you."

"All right. Have a seat." Frasier said.

Niles removed his coat and went to hang it up, stopping when he looked

around the living room.

"Hey Niles!" Martin said.

Niles dropped his coat on the sofa and ran to where his father sat in his

favorite beat up chair.

"Dad! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you!" He said.

"Then don't!" Martin snapped. "Can't you see I'm watching the game?"

"Ah yes, football... The national pastime!" Niles said.

Martin looked at him in confusion. 

_"Football_? Niles this is a _Mariners_ game, not a

Seahawks game! It's _basebal_l!"

"So you're right Dad! Oh, and judging by the lopsided score, they have nary a

chance to go to the Super Bowl."

"The _Super bowl_? Niles that's for football and-Oh never mind!"

"Eddie's here too!" Niles exclaimed. "Isn't that wonderful Frasier?"

"No, not really." Frasier said, glaring at Eddie just as the dog sat in front of him

and began to stare.

"Dad, can't you get that dog to stop staring at me?" Frasier groaned.

"Get over here Eddie!" Martin yelled, as the dog scampered away from Frasier

and into Martin's lap.

Niles turned to his brother. "Frasier, about our talk the other day..."

"It's all right Niles. You're entitled to your opinion and when it comes to

Shakespearian Opera, you've definitely got the upper hand."

"Oh, no. I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about Lillith."

Niles blinked, amazed that his brother seemed to have no recollection of their

conversation just days before.

"Lillith? Dear God, _please_ don't bring up that woman's name right now!"

"Well she _is _your wife and I just-."

Frasier stared at his little brother in shock. "My _wife_? Dear God Niles, don't be

ridiculous! I wouldn't marry that woman if she were the last woman on earth!"

"Well thank God for that!" Martin said. "Now look you two, I'm trying to watch

the baseball game here!"

Niles couldn't help watching a bit of the game with his father.

"Boy, the Mariners are terrible this year!" Martin said. "They'll be lucky if they

get a playoff spot, but believe me, I'm not gonna hold my breath!"

"Niles was overcome with relief. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me! I

had an inkling that the Mariners were never Super bowl contenders!"

"World Series, Niles! Not Super-oh never mind!" Martin said. "I know they're

bad but you don't have to rub it in! Geez! I can't believe I waited all winter for

this!"

As a strange silence filled the condo, Niles swallowed hard and asked the

question he'd been dreading and anticipating for days.

"So, Dad... Frasier... Have you... heard from Daphne?"

Frasier looked at Martin and then at Niles. "Um, no Niles. Actually we thought

she was with you. Did something happen?"

Niles wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Daphne _existed._..

Maybe it had all been a bad dream...

Frasier walked over to Niles and put his hand on his shoulder. "Is something

wrong?"

"Oh, Niles!" Martin called from his chair. "I almost forgot to tell you! Daphne

called earlier, but she sounded pretty upset."

"Well that's just great, Dad." Frasier snapped. "You could have mentioned that

earlier-like the minute he came in the door, but you were too busy watching

that ridiculous game!"

"All right, fine!" Martin yelled. "I'm sorry Niles!"

"Dad can be so irresponsible sometimes!" Frasier added.

"It's all right, Dad, Frasier." Niles said sadly. "She probably doesn't even want

to talk to me anyway."

"What happened, Son?" Martin asked.

"Oh, it was my fault." Niles said. "I came home extremely upset and I

completely dismissed Daphne, assuming that she didn't care about me or my

crises at work. It turns out she was facing a crisis of her own. I hurt her,

Frasier! How could I do that to the woman I love?"

"Sounds like you were hurting, too." Frasier said.

"It was horrible, Frasier! A patient threatened me at work and... well now I'm

finished as a professional psychiatrist, that's for sure."

"Dear God, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, Frasier it's not something I'm proud of. It doesn't matter anyway. I've

lost Daphne forever and-I should go."

"Niles, please!" Frasier said as Niles grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Look, let's talk about this. You can't think that this is your fault! I'll call around

and see what I can do to help you. I won't let you lose your license. You're a

brilliant psychiatrist and I don't want to see you lose what you worked so hard

to earn."

Niles smiled at his brother from the foyer. "Thanks, Frasier."


	17. Chapter 17

Niles walked into his apartment at the Montana, and tossed his keys on a

nearby table.

"Daphne? Are you here, my love?"

To his dismay, the question was met with silence.

It was just as he thought. This nightmare was real. Although it was quite a

relief to find out that most things were back to normal. But without Daphne...

Well, life just wasn't worth living.

Resisting the urge to cry, he made himself a sherry and sat down on the

fainting couch, resting his head against the pillow.

Minutes later he heard the unmistakable sound of a key in the lock and the

doorknob turning.

_Could it be? _

His heartbeat increased as he sat the empty glass on the table and rose from

the couch, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Daphne?"

She stood before him, looking more beautiful than he could ever remember;

the tears in her eyes tugging at his heart.

"I-I'm so sorry, Niles." She said. "I can't believe I-.""

He moved toward her and took her face in his hands, silencing her with a kiss.

He kissed her over and over again until they were both breathless. When the

kisses ended, he stared into her eyes.

"So... does this mean that you forgive me?" Daphne asked. "I'm so sorry... I

just..."

When her voice broke, he took her in his arms and held her close.

"I thought you were gone forever." He whispered into her hair.

"N-never... I love you." She whispered back.

They kissed again and then walked hand in hand to the fainting couch.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings." Niles said, kissing her hand. "It

was cruel and inconsiderate of me to put my problems above your own."

Daphne touched his face and smiled. "Me problems aren't really problems at

all. I was just so frustrated. Your father can be quite a nuisance when he

wants to be. But Niles you were hurting and well, I ... Did a patient really

threaten you?"

Niles averted his eyes. The subject was still a painful one and until it was

resolved he wasn't sure that he'd ever be comfortable talking about it.

Daphne leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Did he hurt you? This patient, I mean?"

"Well, actually it was a woman, and yes she did hurt me... emotionally. But

Daphne it doesn't matter now because-."

"Niles..." She said resting her head on his chest. "Can you find it in your kind,

warm heart to forgive me?"

He laced his fingers through hers. "There's nothing to forgive. I was the

insensitive one."

"I love you, Niles." She said, kissing his hand.

Niles put his hand on her chin and tilted her face toward his for a kiss. "I've

loved you since the moment I saw you."

She smiled and kissed him again. Seconds later, however, Niles pulled away

and rose from the sofa.

"What's wrong?" Daphne asked.

"Something's missing here." He said.

"Missing? What are you talking about?" Daphne asked.

"I'll be right back."

Ignoring Daphne's confused look, Niles smiled and bounded up the staircase.

Once in the master bedroom, he opened his nightstand drawer and removed

the velvet pouch containing Daphne's engagement ring.

"Niles! What's going on?" He heard her yell from downstairs.

"I'll be right down, my love." He called to her.

When he looked around the bedroom a second time, he had an idea. Minutes

later he returned the ring to the pouch and put it back in his dresser before

running down the stairs.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to drag it out of you?"

Daphne asked.

He smiled and took her hand. "Come upstairs with me."

"Niles..."

She took his hand and followed him up the stairs.

"Niles, where are we... Oh..." She gasped in surprise when she saw what he

had done. "What's all this?"

Niles glanced around the bedroom, admiring his attempt at spontaneity.

There were candles everywhere and rose petals scattered across the bed.

"For you..." He said simply. "Because I love you."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him toward her for

a kiss.

"I love you, Niles."

"Well in that case there's only one thing that would make this moment

perfect." Niles said.

"How could you possibly make this even more-Oh..."

Tears filled Daphne's eyes when he removed the ring from the velvet pouch

and lowered himself to one knee.

"Daphne will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

"Of course I'll marry you." She said tearfully. "I'm so sorry I took the ring off

the way I did. I was being selfish and-."

"You're so beautiful, with your face illuminated in the candlelight." He said as

he kissed her. Slowly he slipped the ring on her finger and led her to the bed

where they fell onto the pillows, making up for lost time.

"Thanks, Alex." Niles said, interrupting their series of kisses.

Daphne pulled away and looked at him. "Who's Alex?"

Niles blinked, unaware that he'd even spoken.

"That's funny... I have no idea... But whoever it is, I'm eternally grateful to

them because I now have the perfect life."


	18. Chapter 18

"Alex, can't we go home now? This place is creepy!"

"Harper, noooo! Not until we've talked to Frasier! I mean, duh! That _is_ the

whole reason I came here! I have to talk to him about Justin and Max!

Especially Justin! He's driving me crazy!"

Harper sighed and smiled dreamily as she clutched her hands to her heart.

"Oh... Justin's so cute; I can't imagine him being anything less than adorable!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh he's less, all right. A lot less!"

Harper glanced at the blue sign on the side of the large building. "K-A-C-L..."

She read. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Alex laughed "I don't know, but maybe it stands for '**K**ids **A**re **C**ool **L**osers!"

"Why would you want to get advice from someone who thinks you're a _loser_?"

Harper asked.

Alex sighed irritably. "Not _me_! Justin and Max! Come on, Harper. Let's go find

Frasier so we can get out of here! Mom and Dad will go through the roof when

they find out that I used magic to get us to Seattle and I'll probably be

grounded for a year! But... if it gets Justin and Max off my back, it'll be _totally_

worth it!"

They entered the building and walked down the hallway.

"Wow, this place is cool!" Harper exclaimed. "But are you sure that this Frasier

person really lives here?"

"That's what Mister Doctor told me." Alex replied.

"Who?"

"Mister Doctor! The guy in that weird looking Starbucks! Café Ner-voos-

whatever it's called."

"You mean the guy who cries?"

"Yeah, him."

"So Frasier is his brother?"

"I guess so."

"How'd they get such weird names?"

"Beats me. I guess I should be thankful that my parents gave me a normal

name." Alex said.

Harper rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah... A girl named _Alex._ That's _really_ normal!"

They continued to walk through the hallways. "You know, this place looks

more like an office building than someone's house." Harper remarked.

"It's called _eclectic_." Alex said

"What the heck does _that_ mean?" Harper asked.

"I have no idea." Alex replied. "But my mom says stuff like that all the time.

Maybe it's Spanish. But then it would be _e-clec-tico_!"

"Whatever... Whoa! Those are some really weird looking people!" Harper said,

glancing at the pictures on the wall.

Alex scoffed. "Yeah, I know. And I thought that my relatives were weird! Look

at these names... Gil, Noel, Bulldog..."

"Someone callin' me?"

Alex and Harper turned to find themselves face to face with a short, stocky

guy with barely any hair.

"Why would we call _you_?" Alex asked, looking at him with disgust.

At the sight of the two girls, the creepy guy grinned. "Well... you two are a

little young for me, but I don't see anyone else around and-."

"Eww!" Alex said, backing away from him.

"Alex, what's going on?"

"Harper, don't you get it? He's trying to hit on us!" Alex said.

Harper made a fist and took the stance of a Kung Fu Warrior.

"Well, you'd better watch who you're dealing with because I can put up a

pretty good fight, so back off, Mister!"

"Harper, he's not going to _hit _us! At least, I don't think so."

The man held up his hands and laughed. "Hey, no need to get violent!

So... what are your names?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" Alex said, smiling sweetly.

"Yeah, your name _and_ your phone number!" The guy laughed.  
>"Bulldog!" came a booming voice.<p>

They looked up to see a rotund man wearing a suit glaring at the man that

was apparently named Bulldog.

Geez, Bulldog's mom must have been in a weird mood when she named him!

"Wow, your dad looks really mad!" Alex said.

"H-He sure does!" Harper said, clutching onto Alex in fear.

"What? Are you chicks' crazy? He's not my dad!" Bulldog yelled.

"Don't you have a show to do?" the rotund man asked; his hands on his hips.

He did a double take when he saw Alex and Harper. "Hey! How did you kids

get in here?"

"Um... well..."

"I'll give you five minutes to get out, or I'm calling your parents!"

"Oh no..." Harper said, turning white as a ghost. "W-we're sorry! We really

are! W-we just..."

"It was my fault for being so harsh. I'm Kenny, the station manager." The

rotund man said.

Angrily he turned to Bulldog. "You see what you've done? Now you have thirty

seconds to get in there and do your show! I'm not paying you to broadcast a

lot of dead air! But first... apologize to the girls! They look terrified!"

"Oh... all right." Bulldog said, glancing sheepishly at Harper and Alex. "All right,

um... look... I'm sorry if I freaked you out, okay?" He extended his hand,

prompting Harper and Alex to put their hands behind their backs.

"Okay... how about this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out some

dollar bills which he shoved into the slot of a nearby candy machine. Seconds

later he removed two chocolate bars and showed them to Alex and Harper.

"No hard feelings, okay?" he asked with a laugh.

"Oohhh no!" Harper said. "We can't take candy from strangers. _Right_, Alex?"

Slowly she moved toward the rotund man, using him as a shield.

"Come on, take it!" Bulldog yelled, thrusting the candy bars at the girls. "My

bark is a lot worse than my bite!"

He barked loudly, and then laughed, causing the girls to scream and run down

the hallway.

"Come on Harper, this way!" Alex yelled, trying to catch her breath.

They rounded the corner, shrieking when they almost collided with a

distinguished looking man who wore a really nice suit.

"Dear God, I am sorry!" The man said. "I'm afraid that I was completely

engrossed in my reading and wasn't watching where I was going. I'm terribly

sorry if I scared you. Are you two all right?"

Harper scoffed. "We will be as long as that Bulldog guy doesn't come after us

again!"

The man laughed. "Ah yes... Well, Bulldog... He's been quite an addition to our

family at KACL."

"His dad's totally weird too." Alex said.

The man's eyes narrowed in confusion. "His dad?"

Suddenly Alex recognized him. "Oh my God! You're Frasier!"

Frasier smiled. "That's _Doctor_, and thanks for listening."

"I'm Alex and this is my best friend, Harper."

Frasier extended his hand and smiled. "Well, it's always nice to meet a fan or

two."

"Oh, we're not fans." Alex said.

"No way! Not at all!" Harper said proudly.

"I beg your pardon" Frasier asked.

"Um... She means that we heard about you online." Alex said nervously.

"Oh... Well, I'm flattered that you were doing research about my work." Frasier

said.

"Actually I was just looking for someone to talk to about my brothers." Alex

said. "They're driving me crazy!"

Frasier looked at his watch. "Well, I have a few minutes. Why don't we go

over here and talk?"

Alex nodded and followed him to a row of chairs in the corner of the hallway.

"So..." Frasier said when they sat down. "You said you were having trouble

with your brothers."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Totally."

"Are these your older brothers or younger brothers?"

"I have one of each."

"Oh I see. Well whey don't you tell me what's bothering you? And remember...

I'm listening."

"Yeah, whatever. Um, I have two brothers, Justin and Max. They're always

bothering me and never leave me alone! Especially Justin, my older brother.

He's the worst! Whenever I ask him to help me, he just laughs at me and tells

me how lame I am! I thought older brothers were supposed to help their little

sisters! Not make fun of them! Although I have to admit that making fun of him

is a lot of fun!"

"I'm sure it is." Fraser said. "And I can certainly relate. I have a younger

brother myself."

"Mister Doctor." Alex said, proud that she'd remembered the man's name.

"Come again?"

"Mister Doctor! Short guy, nice clothes. Really good at pretending to read, and

even better at crying. Don't you know your own brother?"

"Well of course I know my own brother! Niles is... Dear God! Did you say he was crying?"

"Niles! That's his name! Yeah, he was totally crying! I couldn't believe it! I

mean, my dad doesn't even cry in front of people!"

Frasier's expression turned serious. "Oh Lord. I knew he was hurting, but I

had no idea it was so serious. I should have sensed it, though. First this fight

with Daphne, then his patient jeopardizing his career. Losing his place in our

wine club. I simply must call him, so if you'll excuse me-."

"But what about my brothers?" Alex asked.

"Oh, right. Well, sibling rivalry is a normal part of growing up. You are all going

through changes and the road to adulthood is indeed a bumpy one.

Conflicts are bound to arise sooner or later. As much as I hate to admit it,

there is still quite a bit of professional and personal competition between Niles

and I, even as adults."

"But I still don't understand!" Alex whined.

"The key to successful relationships-at any age-is communication. It seems like

you have a lot to work out between you and your brothers. Just try to open

the lines of communication and resolve the situation rationally."

"You mean, like _talk_ to them?"

Frasier sighed. "Yes, Alex. Talk to them."

"But I can't just invite them into my room and talk! It's totally embarrassing!"

"How about going to a place that you all like, such as a favorite hang-out as

my son likes to say?" Frasier asked.

"Um... Okay. I'll think about it. Thanks, Doctor Frasier!" Alex said.

"Anytime, Alex." Frasier replied.

Alex rose from the chair and dutifully shook Frasier's hand. "Oh and Doctor

Frasier?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Niles that I'm sorry I ruined his life while trying to give him a perfect one

and that I hope things are back to normal now."

"Alex!" Harper hissed from behind her. "You can't tell him that! Niles is

supposed to have forgotten all about you! Remember?"

"I'll be sure and give him the message." Frasier said, giving Alex and Harper a

weird look. "Nice meeting you both by the way."

"All right. You ready to go, Harper?" Alex asked when they were alone.

"Yeah. This place is too weird!" Harper said.

Alex looked around to make sure that no one was looking, and then twirled

her wand over and over her head.

_Seattle is nice and very savory but we prefer to be in Waverly... Place._

Suddenly Alex and Harper disappeared among a shower of glittery sparkles.


	19. Chapter 19

Frasier walked into Café Nervosa, smiling when he saw his brother and future

sister-in-law sitting at their favorite corner table holding hands and sharing a

kiss.

"Well, it's nice to see you two so happy." He said as he sat down.

Daphne blushed and pulled away from her husband. "Hello Frasier."

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just on my way home from a meeting at

work." Frasier said.

"Important meeting?" Niles asked.

Frasier sighed. "No, just the usual monthly meeting. It never fails that there's

always one person who asks so many questions to cause an hour meeting to

stretch into two."

"So... how many questions did you ask this time?" Niles asked with a grin.

"Niles why do you always assume I'm talking about myself?" Frasier snapped.

Then, seeing his brother's raised eyebrows he smiled.

"Oh all right it _was_ me! But I tell you these new policies they have in place are

just outlandish! I mean they're fine for people like Bulldog and Noel, but not

me! I have ethics and standards to adhere to you know!"

"I thought as much." Niles laughed.

"I don't blame you for speakin' your mind, Frasier." Daphne said. "Why I was

just tellin' me mum the other day that I wish I would have spoken up more

often in school. Things would have been a lot better if I had. The one time I

did, I got sent right to the principal's office!"

"Oh my love... why didn't you tell me?" Niles asked, putting his arm around her

and pulling her close for a hug.

"Niles, it's really no big deal. I mean I just didn't like the way they were servin'

so tiny portions at lunch and expectin' us to be full for the rest of the day!"

Daphne said.

"Well, if I had been there, I would have given them a piece of my mind!" Niles

said. "Imagine, treating you so shabbily!"

Daphne laughed. "Niles..."

Frasier watched his brother and future sister-in-law with amusement. "Well, it seems

that you two have reconciled a little more than I thought."

"Ever since our little... disagreement, Niles has been a bit overprotective if you

ask me." Daphne said.

"Nothing's too good for you, my love." Niles said, kissing her without any

concern that his brother was watching them.

Frasier smiled. "Well, like I said before, I love seeing you two so happy. It just

warms my heart."

"Niles, can I talk to you for a minute?" Frasier asked.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

Immediately Daphne rose from the table and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" Niles asked.

Daphne kissed her husband and smiled. "I know a hint when I hear one. I

don't want to pry into personal business between you and your brother. I'll

see you at home. I need to go check on your father anyway."

"Thank you, Daphne." Frasier said. "And tell Dad I'll be home soon."

"I will. See you later, Frasier. I love you Niles." She said kissing him again.

"Oh and I love you, Sweetheart." Niles said. "And I'll miss you terribly!"

"Oh Niles!" Daphne laughed. "You can be so over-dramatic! I'm just goin' to

your brother's house."

When Niles didn't answer, she smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're

always lookin' after me. That's just one of the reasons I love you so much."

Frasier sighed, watching his future sister in law walk out of the café, glancing

lovingly at her husband.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Niles asked, blowing Daphne a kiss as

she passed by the window.

"It's about the patient you mentioned to me before. The one who threatened

you."

Niles expression fell and he looked away. "Oh..."

"Now Niles, I know how difficult this is, but you should be fine now." Frasier

said.

Niles looked at his brother with concern.

"What do you mean?"

"Well this goes entirely against my ethics, but you are my brother and I love

you. You've worked much too hard to have your career ruined by some...

_psychosomatic_ woman. I took the liberty of talking with your peers who gave

me some insight on this person. Then I went directly to the board and

demanded that they do something about her. So as of now, that

woman is no longer a patient of yours!"

"But Frasier, I-."

"Now Niles, I know how you dislike my meddling in your affairs, especially if it's

a professional matter, but I just can't stand to see your life's work destroyed!

Believe me, it's for the best. The board spoke very highly of your competence

as a professional therapist and agreed to give you some extra time off from

work, should you need it. Lord knows you've been through a lot. I can't even

imagine the hell that woman put you through."

Niles stared at his brother in disbelief.

"You... You did all of this for me?"

"Yes, but there's no need to-."

Niles rose from the chair and went to his brother hugging him fiercely.

"Thank you, Frasier. I can't tell you how much this means to me... and Daphne

too. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get home to my fiance. I miss her terribly."

As he watched his brother leave, Frasier smiled. "But Niles she barely left five

minutes ago! How can you miss her already?"

But Niles didn't answer, and instead rushed out of the café.

Frasier smiled, realizing that he already had his answer;

Niles and Daphne were deeply in love... and love was the greatest healer of

all.


	20. Chapter 20

**(Waverly Place)**

"Alex, where have you been?" Justin demanded when Alex appeared in the

living room. "Mom and Dad freaked when they found out that you were gone!

I had to cover for you!"

Alex's looked at her brother in shock. "_You _covered for _me_?"

"Well I didn't want to, but-."

"Let me guess... Mom and Dad threatened to ground you if you didn't cave."

"Worse, they threatened to ban me from tutoring alegbra after school!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Whoa! Your social life would totally disappear!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Justin said as he headed upstairs.

"Justin, wait!" Alex called to him.

Justin turned around "Why, so you can insult me again?"

"No. Um... We need to talk. Really talk." Alex said.

Her older brother looked at her in disbelief and crossed his arms in front of his

chest. "All right, Alex. What are you trying to pull this time?"

"Nothing! I just... think we should talk."

Justin put his hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine. Hey! Why don't we go out for pizza! My treat! And we'll take Max!"

"Take Max where?" Her little brother said as he walked into the living room.

"Alex is taking us out for pizza!" Justin said.

"Cool! Can I take my pet lizard?" Max asked. At Alex and Justin's perplex look,

he added "He won't eat much. He gets lonely if he stays at home by himself!"

"No!" Justin said. "That thing is disgusting!"

"Hey be quiet!" Max said, gesturing for Justin to lower his voice. "He might

hear you!"

"Max, that lizard hasn't heard anything in a long time and won't be hearing

anything ever again. He's dead, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Max said. "But can I still bring him?"

"Eww!" Alex said.

Max, no lizard, all right?" Justin said sternly.

"All right! Geez! So who's paying?" Max asked.

"I am!" Alex said proudly.

Justin scoffed. "Yeah, like you really have enough money to feed all three of

us."

"No problem." Alex said, just as her father walked into the kitchen.

"No problem for what?" Jerry asked.

"Dad, can I have some money?" Alex asked.

"Alex, I just gave you money the other day!"

"Yeah but this is for something _important_!" Alex said.

"Hmm... I believe you used that same excuse the last time." Jerry said crossing

his arms in front of his chest.

"But Dad, I'm telling the truth! Ask Justin if you don't believe me!"

"She's taking Max and me out for pizza." Justin said. "Says she wants to talk."

Jerry smiled. "Well it's about time you started communicating with your

brothers. I'm proud of you, Alex." He reached into his pocket and handed her

some money.

"Thanks!" Alex said. "Come on, let's get out of here. Maybe we can even go

see a movie afterwards! Bye, Dad!"

Jerry smiled as he watched his kids walk out of the door.

"Jerry, what's going on?" Teresa asked. "Kids, get back in here!"

"Alex, Justin and Max are going out for pizza." Jerry said to his wife.

"Pizza? Jerry, are you crazy? Alex used magic without our permission and went

off to who-knows where and you're letting her go out? I thought we agreed

that she was grounded for a month!"

"But Teresa, she's our _good _kid! Hey wait, where in the heck did that come

from?"

"You know, she's trying to earn more points in the wizard competition" Teresa

said.

"I am not!" Alex said. "I'm just trying to bond with my two brothers!"

Teresa smiled. "I'm glad to see that you kids are taking our advice to get along

with each other."

"Oh, it's not your advice. I heard it from someone older and wiser. Bye Mom!

Bye Dad! We'll be back before curfew!" Alex said, ignoring her parents'

confused glances.

"Later!" Max said as he and Justin followed Alex out the door.

Jerry turned to his wife. "Are you sure those are _our_ kids?"

"Well _I'm_ certainly not complaining..." Teresa answered with a laugh. "Hey!

Why don't we go play some ski ball?"

Jerry's eyes widened. "And catch the next showing of _Icevarks_? I love that

movie!"

"Sounds good to me! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Teressa said as she

grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

"I'm right behind you!" Jerry said, hurrying to catch up with her.

The End

_**A/N Many thanks to my wonderful husband for not only coming up with **_

_**the idea to do a Frasier/Wizards crossover but also for helping me write **_

_**the Wizards portion of this story!**_


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